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Chris Bourque is on this team because he earned his spot being a GREAT AHL player and Claude said as much today.
MacDermind is in there because Claude feels Chris is putting far too much pressure on himself. I agree with that decision, let him watch from the press box for a night and have him chat with Doug Jarvis about things he can do to improve.

Claude said it today he believes Chris will develop into the player he says they know he can be and for the record Chiarelli said on TSN 1050 yesterday morning that Bourque will continue to have the spot unless they feel they can upgrade via trade closer to the deadline with a veteran (pretty good vote from the GM and from the Coach I'd say).

Also people seem to be ignoring in the offensive zone Chris Kelly has been attrocious and Rich Peverley is just starting to get his jump back...Peverley and Kelly combined for 0 goals and for people who think Bourque is dragging them down, they had two shifts with Seguin in the last game and Kelly iced the puck twice and Peverley once.

Has Chris Bourque been great? No. But has Chris been useless? NO! He's brought more defensively then I expected. He'd be a -1 if it weren't for a Kelly giveaway and Boychuck deciding he was going to play Chara's side without telling him. He's also been decent on the PP and Brad Marchand's PP goal came directly because of Bourque drawing players in on the half boards, opening up Hamilton and Peverley out high.

I'm getting off my soapbox now but for crying out loud it's been 6 games on a line that has zero between three players. Let them gel and this is going to be a very, very good third line!

The bolded statement is the key. Chris Bourque was the best player in the AHL last year, so the Bruins would be justified in playing him regardless of his last name. However, other small players have dominated the NHL can't play in the NHL (i.e. Brett Sterling). It's worth it to give him a chance to see what he can do.

Caron showed flashes of brilliance last year. He hasn't been around for years the way Bourque has. We still don't really know Carons potential due to injuries. Bourque has been on display for years now and has what to show for it?

It was nice to give one of the all-time great Bruins kids a shot. How about we get a little production?

Uhhh. I don't remember any flashes of brilliance from Caron. Maybe you're thinking of Pouliot?

Good call. I'd sit Bourque for two games, and then put him in there for another three games and see how it goes. If it isn't working then, I'd move in Sauve or Caron.

The biggest problem with MacDermid is that he doesn't belong on the third line, which means breaking up the fourth line so that Paille can move up.

I agree that MacDermid doesn't belong on the 3rd line but given the circumstances I would give him a try there.I don't think Paille really brings anything to the 3rd line [perhaps MacDermid doesn't either]and he is more effective on the 4th line.

Also people seem to be ignoring in the offensive zone Chris Kelly has been attrocious and Rich Peverley is just starting to get his jump back...Peverley and Kelly combined for 0 goals and for people who think Bourque is dragging them down, they had two shifts with Seguin in the last game and Kelly iced the puck twice and Peverley once.

The third line woes are Kelly and Peverleys fault?! They seemed to be pretty good last year with Benoit Pouliot on their LW. Funny, but I don't remember Benoit being that much of a difference maker.

Too bad we can't get rid of Kelly and Pevs to get Chris some better linemates.

Caron showed flashes of brilliance last year. He hasn't been around for years the way Bourque has. We still don't really know Carons potential due to injuries. Bourque has been on display for years now and has what to show for it?

It was nice to give one of the all-time great Bruins kids a shot. How about we get a little production?

You realize, if this was actually the case both Julian and Neely should be fired immediately. You don't give rosters spots as favors, regardless of who it is.

Bourque dominated the AHL last year. That alone earns him an extended look.

He had a stretch last where he was scoring at a very good pace and it looked like he was puting it all together. I think he still will. That kid is an NHL player.

agreed. i really think he will be a good third liner in the NHL, fringe second liner. i know more was expected of him, but i still think he will be an effective NHL player. he had a great stretch last year when it looked like he was finally figuring it out. i hope he gets called up soon, but he needs to show something at the AHL level to earn that first.

agreed. i really think he will be a good third liner in the NHL, fringe second liner. i know more was expected of him, but i still think he will be an effective NHL player. he had a great stretch last year when it looked like he was finally figuring it out. i hope he gets called up soon, but he needs to show something at the AHL level to earn that first.

The third line woes are Kelly and Peverleys fault?! They seemed to be pretty good last year with Benoit Pouliot on their LW. Funny, but I don't remember Benoit being that much of a difference maker.

Too bad we can't get rid of Kelly and Pevs to get Chris some better linemates.

No my point was none of the three members of that line have been offensively productive so to blame Chris Bourque for the third line not producing is absolutely ridiculous when neither Kelly or Peverley have reached the scoresheet.

Also read my post again because you missed the part where I said give the line time to gel and I think we will have a very, very good third line.

He had a stretch last where he was scoring at a very good pace and it looked like he was puting it all together. I think he still will. That kid is an NHL player.

Caron had a single good week last season - I want to say it was early March, and he had a 3 or 4 game streak in which he had points. Directly before that, though, he was virtually invisible offensively & following that hot streak, he had like 1 goal & 2 assists in the last month+ of the season.

To say that he "looked like he was putting it all together" is an exaggeration, IMHO. He couldn't even outplay Pouliot last year, and then went into this season with the 3rd line spot being his to lose ... and he proceeded to quickly lose it.

Caron showed flashes of brilliance last year. He hasn't been around for years the way Bourque has. We still don't really know Carons potential due to injuries. Bourque has been on display for years now and has what to show for it?

It was nice to give one of the all-time great Bruins kids a shot. How about we get a little production?

He had one to two good weeks last year with two really nice games against the Rangers at a time when the rest of the team was snakebitten and looked dog tired down the stretch run of the season.

Kelly and Pevs seem to have a lot more jump tonight. Lit the lamp as well.

Wonder what made such a difference in their game?

Must be pretty awful players if Chris Bourque can drag them down that much.

Look, I don't even want to defend him as a player. He doesn't do much for me. But the idea that he gets to play cause daddy knows the coach is asinine. This isn't Squirt hockey. He also doesn't get into the frat as a legacy.

Got to Toys R Us, find the board games section, and look for the one with Colonel Mustard.

he had a stretch from march 4-10 where he went for 3-4-7 points in four games against the rags, leafs, sabres and capitals. all of those games he had less than 15 minutes of ice time.

in the rest of the month of march (11 games) he went for 1-1.

"a bad stretch" the theory might be.

in the 30 games before the four games of his career to this point? 5 points (3,2).

"not enough ice time" the theory might be.

after his miracle four games in march 2012, caron wilted under more minutes. he reached a career high with 18:47 against the sharks on march 22. he put together an entirely forgettable 0 points, -1, 1 shot game.

look, i'd love caron to figure it out. but he's done absolutely nothing to be given the job over a guy like bourque. i don't care how young he is. sometimes youth isn't the better move over a guy who can actually help your team. until chris bourque proves that he can't help the team or the team seeks out a player better than bourque on the trade market...you give bourque the job and tell caron to work to take it from him. i don't give a **** where caron was drafted or whether or not bourque has a famous dad. the guy with a famous dad gives the team a better chance to win than the one drafted in the first round. leave it at that.